Require NYPD Security Plan for Religious Worship Sites
Enacted on Oct 26, 2026
Signed into Law
Local Law 2026/082
✦ Plain-Language Summary
This law requires the Police Commissioner to create a plan for protecting people entering and leaving religious buildings from physical obstruction or intimidation. The plan must balance protecting worshippers with preserving people's rights to free speech and peaceful protest. The plan will be shared with the Mayor, City Council, and posted online for the public to see.
The story behind this bill
Why it was introduced
Reported hate crimes in New York City have more than doubled over the past decade, with antisemitic incidents consistently the most common. The bill followed a November 2025 protest outside Park East Synagogue where NYPD failed to set up a 'frozen zone,' letting a crowd block the entrance; the Police Commissioner later apologized. Sponsors said NYPD needed a clear, public plan for using security perimeters at houses of worship.
At the hearings
Committee to Combat Hate · 2026-02-25
Marathon hearing (10 a.m.–8 p.m.) on a package including this bill. NYPD said it had no objection to the amended bill; dozens of religious leaders and Jewish community members supported it, while civil liberties groups, unions, and many pro-Palestinian speakers opposed it, tying it to protests of land sales at synagogues.
In support
- Religious leaders (rabbis, pastors, Catholic and Jewish organizations) and Jewish advocacy groups: Congregants, including children and elderly worshippers, have been harassed, blocked, or assaulted entering synagogues and need protection.
- Bill sponsors (Speaker Menin, Council Member Dinowitz): The bill is pro-First Amendment and simply requires NYPD to create and publish a transparent plan, not new police powers.
- NYPD (Deputy Commissioner Gerber): No objection to the amended bill; it only requires NYPD to articulate considerations already used, not change day-to-day practice.
In opposition
- ACLU, Legal Aid Society, PSC-CUNY, UAW, and several advocacy groups: Bill is unnecessary, threatens free speech, risks viewpoint-based enforcement, and may conflict with the NYPD protest settlement.
- Many pro-Palestinian speakers, including several Jewish organizers: Bill is a response to protests against illegal sale of occupied Palestinian land at synagogues and would criminalize that dissent.
- Youth, immigrant, and education advocacy groups (e.g., Girls for Gender Equity, Alliance for Quality Education): Increased NYPD discretion near religious and school sites would increase surveillance and harm Black, Brown, and immigrant communities.
Raised concerns
- Council Member Nurse, Cabán, Avilés: Questioned whether the bill changes anything in practice and whether there is data showing buffer zones reduce hate crimes.
- Muslim Community Network, AAPI advocacy groups: Terms like 'intimidation' are vague and could be applied unevenly against minority communities given history of surveillance.
City agencies: NYPD (Deputy Commissioner Gerber) said it had significant concerns with the original bill but no objections to the amended version; it would require NYPD to formalize existing practice, not expand its authority.
“The NYPD had significant concerns with the initial language of the bill, which we raised in discussions with the Council.”
“My concern here is we're putting forth a symbolic bill that doesn't really address the real concerns and fears that are being expressed today.”
“These bills are pro-First Amendment. They protect the right to exercise free speech, they protect the right to freedom of movement, and they protect the right to freedom of religion.”
Show 1 more hearing
Committee to Combat Hate · 2026-03-26
Brief vote-only session. Committee adopted the amended bill (Proposed Int. 1-B) 6-0 along with the rest of the hate package, after the prior hearing's feedback led to substantial rewording.
In support
- Council Member Schulman: The package takes a comprehensive approach, balancing civil liberties with public safety.
- Council Member Mealy: Supported the bill as part of addressing the city's crisis of hate.
How it turned out
The Council passed the amended bill (Proposed Int. 1-B) 44-5 with 1 abstention on March 26, 2026, and sent it to the Mayor. The Mayor did not sign or veto it within the required period; under City Charter rules it became law through inaction, and the Council's record shows it as 'Returned Unsigned by Mayor' before taking effect.
What changed along the way
- Shifted from a fixed 100-foot perimeter to a flexible, NYPD-discretion-based plan after NYPD raised legal and operational concerns.
- Added a two-step process: a proposed plan within 45 days and a final public plan within 90 days, instead of one 15-day deadline.
- Added requirements that the plan address communication with clergy, administrators, and protesters, and include a public point of contact.
- Retitled from establishing security perimeters to a 'plan regarding security perimeters,' emphasizing considerations over mandates.
- Added a labor-law carveout stating nothing in the bill infringes rights under the National Labor Relations Act or Labor Law.
What the record doesn’t say
- The documents do not explain why the Mayor chose not to sign or veto the bill, leaving it to become law by default.
- The record does not say what, if anything, the Law Department's constitutional review (mentioned as ongoing during testimony) ultimately concluded before the bill passed.
- The documents do not show whether NYPD has since published the required plan or how it has been received by religious institutions or protesters.
Sources
- Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 1-29-26
- Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Committee Report 2/25/26
- Proposed Int. No. 1-A -Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Hearing Transcript 2/25/26
- Proposed Int. No. 1-B - Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Committee Report - Stated Meeting
- Committee Report 3/26/26
- Hearing Transcript 3/26/26
- Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 3-26-26
Written by AI from official Council records. Votes and status come from the record; quotes are checked word for word against the official hearing transcripts.
Details
- Introduced
- Jan 29, 2026
- Passed Council
- Apr 25, 2026
- Enacted
- Apr 25, 2026
- Body
- Committee to Combat Hate
- Type
- Introduction
- Status
- Enacted
Sponsors (35)
Official Description
This bill would require the Police Commissioner to establish a plan to address and contain the risk of physical obstruction, physical injury, intimidation, and interference at places of religious worship while preserving and protecting the rights to free speech, assembly, and protest. The plan would include considerations for the New York Police Department (NYPD) to use in determining whether, when, and the extent to which security perimeters may be used to protect entry to and egress from places of religious worship, and for communication with stakeholders, including the public, persons seeking to assemble or protest, and affected religious leaders. The Commissioner would be required to submit a proposed plan and a final plan to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council no later than 45 days and 90 days, respectively, after the bill’s effective date. The final plan would also be posted on NYPD’s website.